Zimbabweans Shocked As Eat N Lick Gets US$600K Rural Electrification Fund Tender
Fast food chain Eat n Lick was awarded a staggering US$600,000 (approx. R10.9 million) catering tender by the Rural Electrification Fund (REF) for a single event — the Hakwata power switch-on ceremony in Chipinge, held in December 2024.
This eye-watering figure is listed in an official REF notice published under Section 68(a) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, which details tenders awarded in the final quarter of 2024. The contract, referenced as REF/DIR/18/09/2024, was handed out under a direct tender, raising concerns about transparency and value for money.
‘We Are Illuminating The Path To A Brighter Future’
During the event, UNDP Resident Representative to Zimbabwe, Dr Ayodele Odusola, commended the solar electrification project, stating:
“We are not just turning on a power switch, we are illuminating the path to a brighter future. We are walking the talk of the leaving no one and no place behind agenda.”
British Ambassador Pete Vowles, also present, called the project transformational:
“The solar mini grid symbolises hope, opportunity, and empowerment for the Hakwata community. There is significant capacity to do much more.”
Zimbabweans React With Shock And Sarcasm
The revelation that Eat n Lick received US$600,000 for catering one rural event has left Zimbabweans baffled — and angry.
One X user posted:
“So Eat n Lick cooked what? Gold-plated sadza?”
Another wrote:
“US$600K for food? For one day? At a rural event? We are clearly in the wrong profession.”
Others called for audits:
“That money could have built two clinics and solarised five schools. This must be investigated.”
Another user mocked the opacity of the deal:
“Tenderpreneurship is alive and well. Even sadza has joined the gravy train.”
On Facebook, reactions were equally heated, with one comment reading:
“This is an insult to the suffering Zimbabweans. There are no drugs in rural clinics, but we can spend US$600K on chicken and chips?”
Comparison Raises More Questions
The REF tender documents show that other suppliers received huge amounts as well:
- Royal Flair was paid US$107,625.05 (approx. R1.95 million) for tent hire.
- University of Zimbabwe got US$90,000 (approx. R1.63 million) for economic consultancy.
In contrast, Eat n Lick’s US$600K tender was for “provision of catering service”, with no further breakdown given on the number of guests served, menu, or duration.
The fast-food chain, which opened its 23rd branch in Chitungwiza in December 2024, has yet to publicly comment on the matter.
REF also hasn’t released an itemised invoice or explanation of the costs.
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The post Eat N Lick Awarded US$600K Tender By Rural Electrification Fund appeared first on iHarare News.
